Dean Smith Center
The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, usually called simply the Smith Center and popularly referred to as the Dean Dome is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The arena is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team, and temporary home to the women's team during renovations to Carmichael Auditorium. The arena opened in 1986.
The arena is named after former North Carolina coach Dean Smith, who coached the team from 1961 to 1997. According to David Halberstam's biography of Michael Jordan, Smith did not want the arena named after him, but was persuaded by the UNC administration and the arena's backers that fundraising efforts for the facility could fail if they did not use his name. Smith coached the last 11 years of his career in the arena, making him one of the few college coaches in any sport to coach in an arena or stadium that is named for him.
Read more about Dean Smith Center: General Information, Seating Issues, Home Court Advantage, Non-basketball Uses
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